Help Me!
by fee-kh
Summary: Max falls. Alec catches her. As if he would do anything else.
1. Prologue

**Help me!**

Prologue

Disclaimers: I own no part of DA, more's the pity.

A/N: Logan only plays a peripheral role in this.

The ringing phone ruthlessly plucked Alec from the dream he had been thoroughly enjoying only a minute before. A groggy glance at the alarm clock on his bedside table showed that it was just shy of three am. "This had better be an emergency or I swear to god." Grabbing the phone off the hook, he peripherally registered that he did not know the number. After clearing his throat, Alec mumbled something into the phone an extremely generous listener would have interpreted as 'hello'.

"Alec?" The tiny voice coming from the phone was so small Alec had trouble identifying it.

"Who is this?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The only response was a sob barely heard above the static of the bad connection.

"Who is this?" Alec repeated a little louder.

He heard a deep breath, then: "It's me, Alec. Max." Again he heard the crying.

"Max, where are you? What's wrong?" As adrenaline surged through his system all traces of tiredness were washed away before it.

"I killed him, Alec. Help me."

"Max! Where are you?" Worry was gnawing at his gut. This was so unlike Max. She was strong and stubborn. She wasn't supposed to be sobbing down the phone, sounding like a child that had been beaten once too often.

"I don't know. White was here."

"WHITE? Max, get outta there. I'll come and get you. Just tell me where you are, sweetheart." Alec's heart broke at the renewed sobbing.

"I don't know, Alec. They took me. White was there. Then we were alone. I think I killed him. God, the blood. Ben, I'm so sorry."

Now Alec was really worried. For Max to confuse him with her dead brother Ben, something bad had to have happened. And the blood did not help. He had to find her.

"Okay Maxie. I need you to take a deep breath and tell me what you can see. I'm going to come get you. What can you see?"

A tremulous sound over the line showed that Max was trying to follow his orders. He heard shuffling, punctuated by moans that did nothing to alleviate his worries and only served to harden his determination.

"Alec?"

"Yes, I'm here. What can you see?"

"Big room. Skylights. Very dirty. There are lots of boxes. Says 'ray's' and then its smudged. Ends in 'etts'." A hitching breath followed by more shuffling and a groan. "Doors're locked. Can see something round. And spaghetti." Her voice trailed off in a sigh.

"Max!"

His desperate exclaim elicited no response from the other end of the phone.

"MAX! Talk to me. Deep breaths, honey. You have to stay with me." His reward was a tiny voice, inaudible to all but transgenic hearing.

"Looks like spaghetti. Blue and green. Meatball on top." Her words started to slur. "I can hear screaming?" Once again her voice trailed away.

"Max! Can you hear me? Max!"

"Alec, come quick. It hurts."

Alec thought he heard a heavy object falling and then there was only static.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I still don't own Dark Angel. Sadly, Santa was not that good to me this year.

A/N: Sorry, I didn't mean to leave it this long. Hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 1

"Alec, come quick. It hurts."

Static filled the line.

"SHIT!"

Utter frustration filled Alec, as he slammed his fist into the wall beside the mounted telephone, barely bruising his knuckles but leaving a sizeable dent in the plaster. When that did nothing to lessen his tension, he ripped the phone, that had only been installed the week before, off the wall and threw it into the corner of the room, where it landed with a most satisfying crash.

Only pausing to grab his leather jacket from the hook by the door, Alec let it slam shut behind him.

The quiet in Central was shattered when Alec stormed in like a blond whirlwind.

"Dix, get your ass over here."

"What's up, Alec?"

"White's got Max." That last statement ensured the undivided attention of the entire group of people currently in the room. A circle of silence spread with Alec at its centre.

"How do you know?"

"She phoned me. Mentioned White, that they were left alone. Thinks she killed somebody."

"Hopefully White." Mole mumbled.

"Doesn't matter. She mentioned blood, indicating wounds. Words were slurred, had difficulty concentrating."

"Did she give any info to where she is?" Dix asked, booting up the computer as he did so.

Alec frowned. "Max says it's a big room with skylights, dirty, lots of boxes. Sounds like a warehouse. Doors're locked but she could see a big round building. She mentioned spaghetti. Blue and green spaghetti with a meatball on top. She was pretty far gone at that point." Alec swallowed, as worry began to get the better of him. Ruthlessly he suppressed the emotions coursing through him and let 494 come to the front. It would be no help to Max if he went all ordinary and panicked. "She mentioned she could hear people screaming."

Dix frowned. "Could be anything. Could be nothing. The warehouse info limits it to 15 locations in and around the city. The rest might make sense when we have more information. Do you have anything else. Doesn't matter how insignificant it might seem."

Alec thought hard for a second, then it came to him. "She said the boxes had writing on them. Badly smudged. Started with R and ended in 'etts'. Don't know if that helps."

"Well, I can cross-reference the potential companies with the locations and see if we have any matches." Dix turned to his computers, all else already forgotten in the quest of finding Max, leaving Alec to focus his attentions on Biggs. Absently he noted that his fellow transgenic looked almost as worried as he felt. Deep inside he acknowledged that Max would be pleasantly surprised by that and resolved to tell her when this entire affair was over. Giving a mental shudder, he returned to the matter at hand.

"Biggs, send out the X5's and sixes. I want to know everything. Who saw her last. Where did she go. What did she do. Start here and work your way outward. Report back every ten minutes."

"Will do."

"And hurry. She fainted at the end. We don't have that much time. We need to find her a.s.a.p. Have a med team on standby."

Biggs nodded and left.

Fifteen minutes later the first reports started coming in. Nobody had seen Max since the morning of the previous day. After their customary early morning meeting, Max had handed out assignments, then gone to the school which had been having trouble integrating the young nomilies. Julia, the X5 in charge, stated Max had received a phone call that had left her extremely troubled.

"Julia says Max mentioned Logan and something not being possible. That she saw him die. Then she went all silent and left." Biggs reported. "The next sighting was at the gate at eleven hundred. Heading off in a westerly direction on her ninja. Could be nothing."

"But Logan lives in that direction." Alec finished for him. "I say it's time to visit Logan."

Leaving Dix to input the new info, showing Max's presumed route on a grid of the city, Alec and Biggs headed off to pay Logan Cale a visit.

On the way over. Alec had time to collect his thoughts. The inability to do anything was nagging at him. One reason why he had elected to join Biggs instead of letting him handle it on his own. They were running out of time and God only knew what had happened.

Neither transgenic spoke as they headed up in the elevator to Logan's penthouse. When they rang the doorbell, Logan buzzed them through without asking. They were welcomed by the smell of chicken alfredo and Logan's voice shouting: "I'll be out in a minute, Asha. I'm in the bedroom."

As Biggs shrugged, Alec simply raised an eyebrow. Mozart was playing in the background and a table set for two could just be seen round the corner on the lounge. The buzz of the exo-skeleton warned Biggs and Alec of Logan's imminent arrival long before the man himself appeared.

"Subtle, my ass." Biggs muttered.

Logan's welcoming and he liked to think rather sexy smile froze on his face when he saw the two young men he despised the most, simply for being who and what they were. Anger bled into his eyes and voice: "What do you want?"

Alec kept a tight reign on his temper, only betrayed by the coolness slipping into his voice. "Where's Max?"

Logan smirked, comfortable on his high horse. "Oh, she didn't tell you? She came over yesterday."

When nothing more was forthcoming, Alec ground out: "And?"

"She came over yesterday, I had some info for her. She took it and left."

"What info?" Alec's control was slipping, melting away like a snowball in hell.

Logan, unknowing of the danger he was in, sneered. "I don't think that's any of your business."

A growl left Alec's throat. Moving so fast, not even Biggs registered his move, he hauled off and punched Logan right in the face. It spoke volumes for his character and self-control that even then he managed to pull his punch enough that Logan was only momentarily stunned. Pushing Logan into a handy chair, Alec vented his frustration by burying his fist in the wall next to Logan's head.

"What information?" he asked again.

Logan swallowed hard. "I found evidence that her brother Ben is back in town. There has been a series of murders in the north of town. They have his m.o. written all over them. She said she had seen him die. But when has that ever stopped you guys." Logan added bitterly.

Alec felt dread settle into his stomach, as he realised Max had never told Logan the true story of what had happened.

"I gave her the address of the last incident. A protestant church up in Bellevue. She took off and that was it."

Biggs was surprised how stupid this man was. "It never occurred to you that it could be a trap?"

"Why would it?" Logan asked somewhat naively, still unable to grasp the gravity of the situation. "Now if you don't mind, I have a guest coming to dinner."

This time Alec didn't pull his punch, knocking Logan out cold. "Let's go." was all he said.

"One second." Biggs muttered. Aftera quick detour into the kitchen he joined Alec in the lift.

As they rode down his only comment was:" Laxative in the sauce. Brings out the flavour."


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: As ever, this is not mine. I am just indulging in a little fantasy. Belongs to Cameron and consorten.

A/N: I am really, really sorry this took eons to update. Wasn't holding this chapter hostage, by no means. The reviews for this surpassed my expectations after the prologue. So thank you. Curtsy The tragedy was that I lost the book I had this laid out in. I had the whole thing written in this little china book - the black ones with the red border- and it is gone. Just vanished. Can't find it anywhere. I could cry, I can tell you. Anyway, so I have to recreate this from what I remember in my head. Looks like it will be shorter than I had first planned. And I indulged in a little vanity here and put myself in it, of course not in a starring role.

_Chapter 2_

After passing on the information to Dix, who promised to add it to the map they were drawing up, Alec and Biggs made their way up to Bellevue, immeasurably relieved when their resident computer freak phoned back to say there was only the one protestant church in that particular part of town. It was a block and a half away from a parking lot where Alec and his friend stashed their bikes. They walked the rest of the way. An old imposing building the church reached up to the sky with fingers of stone. Time and pollution had ganged up with each other to give thebuilding a reddish-black hue, but the glazed windows were still intact, illuminated from within by the flickering lights of candles.

The two transgenics pushed the heavy doors open as gently as they could, unsure of the reception they should maybe have been expecting. However the vestibule was empty, at first glance anyway.

"Be welcome." The voice was soft, gentle in an indefinable way. Tension sang through Alec's body and he was sure that Biggs felt the same. Slowly they turned their bodies to face the voice, knowing full well that voices could not be trusted. The softest voice could issue the harshest commands and leave you broken and hurt on the floor. And the cruellest voices where often those which bent a little, understood the stress and compensated. No, voices could not be trusted.

This one however seemed to match the body. Behind them stood a smallish woman, smaller even than Max. Plump and rounded she was bundled up in a cardigan that seemed two sizes too big for her. Brown curls framed her square face with its rounded cheeks and rosebud mouth. The lines on her face spoke more of laughing, although a vertical line between her brows spoke eloquently that when necessary she could and did frown. Brown eyes, hidden behind a pair of spectacles, gazed up at Alec. The transgenic was so confused that he almost missed the clerical collar almost hidden by the cardigan.

"You're the pastor here?"

"That would be me. And what can I do for you?"

"We're looking for a friend. A young woman about so high. Dark hair, brown eyes." Alec looked at the woman expectantly and felt his heart sink when her expression darkened.

"And what is it you want with that young woman?" Her expression chilled and Alec could practically see the waves of cold anger coming off her.

"We're friends. She's been missing since yesterday and we found out she came here." Alec didn't know why he was passing on so much information, but it felt right. As nothing indicated the woman was unbending even in the slightest, he added: "Her name is Max. I'm Alec and this is Biggs."

It was as if the sun suddenly came up. "Well why didn't you say that in the first place. The young woman was here this morning. Nice young girl. Said her name was Max and she was looking for someone, wouldn't tell me who though." Then the woman's face darkened again. "She had come about that horrible incident here last week. Somebody left some teeth below the high altar. Wretched thing. My cleaner found it and went hysterical, poor woman. Max had heard about it, thought it might have something to do with an old case she was on. You two with the state department, too?"

Alec only just managed to hide his grin: "No, ma'am. Just good friends of Max."

"Well, I couldn't really help her, don't know too much myself about the going's on. She was very nice though and told me not to worry. That they were dealing with it and then she left. Walked over to the park over the way" The woman's face grew worried and she added: "I'm sorry to hear she's missing. I will pray for her." Alec felt like snapping that no amount of praying had ever helped them when they really needed it, but did not want to offend the lady.

Nodding their thanks to the pastor and with one last look into the serenity of the church, Alec and Biggs left to follow Max's rapidly cooling trail.

Biggs was getting fed up. "We have been looking in this park for almost half an hour and found nothing. Nothing that says Max was ever here. We are wasting time."

"I know that!" Alec yelled, loosing his hard won composure. Logically he knew Biggs was just voicing what he was thinking, but it really wasn't helping.

"Don't think I don't know that. Max could be anywhere, dying in a pool of her own blood and we have nothing to go on, except the ramblings of a woman who was rapidly fading. Don't for one second think that I don't know time is everything. But there is nothing I can do at this point except try to find her and hope that Dix pulls a miracle out of his hat, or that some god happens to be looking in the right direction at the right time and feels in a good enough mood to help us." Alec's shoulders sagged as the full weight of his despair descended on his shoulders. "I don't know what else we can do at this point in time. I have every available man and woman scouring the city in search of her, and the two of us are here, in this crappy little park looking for the most important person in my life."

Biggs had the grace to look chagrined: "I'm sorry Alec. I wish-"

Anything he might have said was interrupted by the rheumy cough erupting from the bushes next to them. It sounded like somebody was choking on a slug.

The cough was followed by an old, extremely smelly man, almost Alec's size, though it was hard to tell with the amount of coats the man had thrown over himself.

"Heard ya talkin'." He wheezed.

Alec and Biggs were on the defensive immediately. "And?"

"Might be able to help ya. If'n you want ta - whas the word? Re'mburse me."

"You want money?" Biggs questioned. "How do we know you have information we want?"

"Well, ya don. Do ya? Tell ya what. I'll start an you can go after an giv' me what ya think s'right."

Alec and Biggs exchanged incredulous looks. This was almost too good to be true.

"So, we gotta deal?"

Alec nodded tersely.

"Ri' then. Saw this woman here a while back, figger, she 'm be t'one you be looking' fo'. Kinda sad lookin'. Coupla guys jumped 'er back there. Big guys, or I woulda helped." The man looked shifty, convincing Alec that he had not helped, notbecause the men were so big but because he was plain and simply a coward.

"'N-way. Girl gave as good as she got. Wen' on fer a long time, then somebody else came. Girl took one look at 'im and the heart wen' out of 'er. Could see it. Jus' gave up. They had 'er down in less than the time it would take one of ya to blink."

At this point, the man gave Alec a shrewd look. "Looked kinda like you, but deader."

Alec didn't comment on the first. "What do you mean, deader?"

The man shivered, clearly uneasy. "Seen a lotta things in my life. But thon man scared me. Nothin' on 'is face. No feelin's like. Get what I mean?"

"Go on." Biggs prompted.

"Well, nothing much left ta tell. Picked 'er up and popped 'er inta a van. White like. Drove of thatta way." The man pointed north.

Alec frowned, then nodded: "You've been very helpful." Without looking he gave the man all the money in his pocket and walked off, leaving the hobo spluttering in his wake about how it was too much and he didn't really do anything.

Biggs felt obliged to comment: "You know he's right. That was way too much."

Alec didn't bother looking at him. "Nothing's too much, if it means we get Max back."

"What did he mean, the man looked like you?"

Alec sighed again. "You remember the clone program? Well, one of Max's 'brothers' was my clone. Looks just like me. First time Max saw me, she thought I was him and freaked."

Biggs nodded, still confused. Alec sighed to himself and hoped Max would forgive him for breaking her confidence the way he was about to, but he needed somebody to know, in case things went haywire. If Ben was back and there was nobody to help, the others might take him in at first sight, and it looked like Ben had shifted sides. Not that he blamed him, he didn't know what they had done to him after all and Manticore had had ways and means to make you believe the sky was pink. No accounting what the Familiars had perfected in their thousands ofyears existence.

"It's like this. When Max met me, Ben was already dead."

"Come again? I thought that man just said he saw him."

"That's the weird part. You see, Ben went psycho, what Logan was referring to at his flat. Killed people and left them in churches. Max found out and went after him to stop him. Had an all-out raging battle in the forest and Max beat him. Wasn't dead though. Max told me she thought she could have helped him in some way." Alec stopped, his heart still hurting for her when he thought of what happened next. "Then Lydecker found them. Max heard them coming in the distance. Ben had two broken legs and Max wasn't strong enough to carry him. There was no way the both of them would have made it out of the forest."

Biggs had the sick feeling he knew where this was going. "So what happened next?"

"Max, distracted him and snapped his neck."

"Aw, shit. Alec. Poor girl."

"Got that right."

"S'that why she sometimes looks at you funny?"

"Yeah. Happens less and less though."

Biggs' brow furrowed. "So, if Max killed Ben, who was that in the park?"

"Don't know. Can't be a clone, not enough time, unless they have technology Manticore didn't. And then there's the fact that the man said my look-a-like looked dead. Sounds like brainwashing to me."

"That's just -" Words failed Biggs for the moment. "Those bastards. What, fiddling with the world and trying to drag everything into the next apocalypse isn't enough, they have to mess with our minds, too?" Alec's friend was really upset, while Alec looked at him, relieved. It helped that somebody else knew. Shaking off the feelings of dread settling in his stomach he went back to business.

"Let's get hold of Dix and pass on what we know. Maybe somebody else was luckier." As he said it though, Alec had the sinking feeling, that he and Biggs were on the hottest trail. 'Just hope we're fast enough to keep the trail hot.'


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still not mine. Sadly.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the last chapter, have the feeling it is not up to the standard of the first two. It gets better though. I finished this last night, so will be posting the chapters in the course of the next two days.

_Chapter 3_

"Thanks for the information. That limit's the prospective sites to six." Dix's voice was somewhat tinny through the phone.

Alec frowned. "Still not enough, It's been five hours since she called. Time is slipping through our fingers. She may be an X5, but we have to hurry."

"I know, We're doing - hang on a moment." Dix's voice was gone and for a long time there was silence, making Alec fidget more and more until finally.

"Hah! Had an idea. Visualising what Max described really helped. One of the sites is next to a fun fair. Still open, too. Called Space Invasion. Has a big roller coaster called Flight to Mars. Picture on the net. Get this. The tracks are painted green and blue and there are a couple of replica planets on the biggest looping."

"Which explains Max's spaghetti."

"Not so delusional after all."

"So where is the warehouse?" Alec was anxious to get going.

"Well that's the thing. Biggest site is next to the fun fair. Over one hundred warehouses in differing sizes and almost all of them overlook the fair. Can't even triangulate decently."

Alec sighed, once again thwarted. "Well, you keep on that: pass over the address and get a couple of transgenics to meet us there along with a medic."

"Will do. The site's not that far from where you are at the moment." Dix passed on the address and signed off.

Alec turned to Biggs, smiling grimly for the first time that horrible day. "Well, we're that much closer."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and get Max."

Alec and Biggs pulled to a stop in front of the entrance to the warehouse district. In the distance they could see the funfair getting up to speed now that darkness was falling. As one they rolled their bikes into an alley and hid in the shadow of the building. Cooling his heels as they waited for their backup did not sit well with Alec. Now that he was so close he wanted nothing more than to storm in and get her out. Biggs had his hands full trying to keep his friend in check.

"Alec, will you quit pacing. The others will be here soon. I wont let you go in without more backup than little old me. It's almost certainly a trap and even if it wasn't, White will have posted sentinels. You can't help Max if you're dead."

Alec's shoulders sagged: "Logically, I know you're right. Aced Tactics after all. What if we're too late? What if it's the five minutes we spend standing here that would have made all the difference? The difference between a rescue mission and death?"

"I understand. Believe me, I do. But if you can't keep an eye on the bigger picture, I have to do it for you. If Max is -" he couldn't bring himself to say it. "-incapacitated, then you're the only one who can take her place. The only one the transgenics will follow."

Alec gaped at him. "You can't be serious."

"I am. Deadly serious. You're the only officer left. All the others either died in the escape or haven't turned up yet. And even if they did, you still have the highest rank."

Alec sighed. "I guess I know that. Don't know what Max will have to sayabout this."

Biggs gave him a scornful look. "God, you're thick. Yes, she rags you to no end. And she might not acknowledge it, but she knows. Who does she turn to when things need to get done? And who did she call when she was in trouble?"

"Me." Alec felt unable to deal with the implications of Biggs' statements and slid away to the matter at hand. "Doesn't matter. We're getting her back. I am getting her back and there is no-one who will stand in my way, up to and especially including White. He's dead man walking, he just doesn't know it yet. We are getting her back and he is going to pay." Quietly he added. "I'd never forgive myself if we didn't."

Biggs was slightly taken aback at Alec's vehemence, although he understood it. White had committed the cardinal sin and taken something Alec considered his. The Familiar would pay.

Both men jumped when Alec's mobile rang.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me I'm the best." Dix's voice rang out so loudly and triumphantly Biggs had not problem listening in.

"You found her." Alec stated.

"The amusement park got me thinking. They used to have fireworks displays to commemorate special days, for example the we've just cracked the million day, or we feel like it day, so I went through the city archive and one of the biggest producers of fireworks before the pulse in the Seattle area was a guy called Ray Fines. And his fireworks were sold under the snazzy title of Ray's Rockets. Reason why it didn't come up on the first cross-check with the warehouses was that business went bust long before the pulse and nobody bothered to update the files. How good am I?"

"Very and I am willing to say genius if you have narrowed it down to one warehouse."

"I can go one better. I have a number."

"Well hand it over. You're the best." Alec felt part of the weight on his heart lift and dissolve.

"What's the eta for the others?"

"Should be with you right about now."

Just as Dix finished Alec heard the sound of motorcycles up the street. Flipping his mobile closed he and Biggs came out of the shadow of the building they had been skulking in. Alec was going through the plan he had laid out in his head during the interminable wait, solidifying when he realised that two of the transgenics, Swoff and Jake had brought sniper rifles. From what he remembered of them at Manticore, they had been the best of the best in that department.

With a strong feeling of relief, he watched the eight transgenics get off their bikes and fall into an informal line-up.

"Listen up, people. Time is of the essence. Helen and Markus," Alec pointed at the two transgenics closest to him, "are going to sneek in and scope out the opposition." The two soldiers nodded and slipped away. Alec turned to the other six. "Swoff and Jake are going to go into position on the roof tops as soon as we get the all clear. Joey, Scooch, Bunny and Toby, you've got the back entrance. There shouldn't be more than one door back there. Make sure nobody leaves." The four nodded tersely. Alec decided to hammer the point home. "This is the last time White messes with one of us. It ends here. Nobody gets away with this and lives to tell the tale." Satisfaction raced across the faces of those facing him.

"Swoff, Jake, Biggs and I are going to play the distraction at the front entrance. As soon as the guards at the back are disabled, I want you to take out the people at the front. Maximum damage, if you please."

Moments later, Helen and Markus were back, confirming Alec's assessment. The campaign to get Max back and inflict some serious damage on White was in its final phases.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel, if I did - well if wishes were horses and all that jazz. You get the idea.

A/N: This coming to the end. I think this chapter and then maybe an epilogue. A really, really short one. I kinda lost faith in this, because nothing I write here comes close to what I see in my mind's eye when I think back to the lost book. Sigh

_Chapter 4_

The sounds of the battle raging by the back door faded behind Alec as he made his way through the warehouse. Inside it was very quiet. Whoever had built this place had done a good job. A very good job. There was no sign of Max and for a long moment Alec thought that White had moved her and it had all been in vain.

Just as he was about to give up all hope a soft murmur reached his ears. Taking deep breaths Alec controlled his body as much as he could. Heartbeat, once going like a metronome, slowed. Breathing stilled and quieted as if he not just fought off two Familiars, his rage channelled into beating the embodiment of all he had come to despise in the last few months. His senses on high alert, Alec scanned the warehouse for the second time, paying the closest attention to the darkest corners and nooks. Moving forward, the shaded warehouse became his own jungle. A gun was lightly held in his right hand, leading the way around every corner. The world narrowed down to the most basic senses as he held onto that murmur and let it lead him to his quarry. Hidden away in the darkest corner of the warehouse was Max.

She lay, propped against a crate, bloodied but never beaten, a weary expression on her face, eyes tightly closed against the horror that lay in her lap. All Alec could see from this vantage point was a shock of blond hair, but the words Max had whispered over the phone hours before now made chilling sense. In a way Logan had been right. The deeds all over Seattle had shown all the hallmarks of Ben's, because it had been Ben doing them. Alec's heart broke into so many pieces he wasn't sure he would ever be able to repair the damage and that was nothing to what Max must be feeling at that time. As soon as he had heard the old man in the park mention the man who looked just like him, Alec had convinced himself that the thought at the front of his mind could not possibly be true. There was no way this could be true. It was too horrendous. He did not know how White had managed to bring Ben back from the dead and was not sure he would ever like to know. Some things were meant to be taboo and disturbing the rest of the dead was one of them. Sadly that did not dissuade the greater bastards of this world from doing so anyway. Some people had no ethics.

Slowly, Alec crept forward, determined not to startle Max. There was no accounting what this episode had done to her. As he came closer, he saw that Max was moving, one handever so slowly stroking the hair filling her lap. Stroking along the line of the jaw and moving to caress the neck before fisting into the shirt. Moving on to straighten the shirt again, one finger tracing along the lines of the face. It was enough to make even the hardest heart cry. But then again, the man who stepped out of the shadow behind Max at that moment made the hardest heart look like a bit of sun-warmed taffy. A truly malicious grin on his face, Ames White stood behind Max, one hand lightly resting on her shoulder.

Hot rage attempted to wrest Alec's control from him, but this time was the end. This was the last battle. Not a flicker of emotion played across Alec's face as helet that hot rage fuel his energy and make place for a cold sense of purpose.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't 494. Come to rescue your princess? How romantic."

"You could say that." Alec looked at White, truly looked at him for the first time in all the time they had been adversaries and laughed. "You think you can actually stop me? You? With your pathetic little cult, that hasn't managed to go through with a single one of their plans? Laughable."

White's face darkened considerably, as he struggled and failed to check his emotions. "You forget, I have your little slut in my power."

Alec's only response was to raise the gun in his hand, faster than the blink of an eye and shoot White smack in the centre of his forehead. "Not anymore."

Max hadn't even flinched throughout the exchange. Moving swiftly Alec grabbed White by his feet and dragged him behind a crate, then hastened back to her side. As he sank down before her, he got a good look at the person in her lap. It was a carbon copy of him, down to the last hair on his head. Uncanny really and vaguely spooky.

"Max. Can you hear me?" Gently, he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing him a better look at her tear-stained face.

Max lifted her eyes from the body in her lap, eyes only slowly focussing on the man kneeling in front of her. Sluggishly one hand lifted to his face and cupped his cheek.

"Alec?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"You came. You really came." A slow tear dripped from her eye to join the others staining her cheeks, chin and shirt.

Alec swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Of course I came. I would never let you down."

"I know, Alec." Max's voice had never risen over a whisper throughout the exchange. Her eyes fell back down to the burden in her lap. "I couldn't save him, Alec." Heartbroken eyes lifted up to meet his.

"I really tried, but he wasn't listening. He just didn't listen. Why didn't he listen, Alec?" The last came out as a wail that tore at the fabric of Alec's soul.

Deep inside, Alec wished he hadn't gotten rid of White so quickly. The man deserved to suffer a thousand deaths for what he had done to Max.

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't know." Taking both her hands in his, finally stilling her incessant stroking of Ben's face, he continued. "White is an evil bastard. But what he brought back there is not Ben. He looks like Ben, maybe even sounds like him, but there is no way in hell, Ben would have not listened to you. He listened in that forest a long time ago and he would have listened now. This is just a semblance of Ben, created to torture you and make you suffer. Created by a sick, twisted man wanting nothing more than to break you." Alec let his eyes rove over Max's face to see if she was taking in what he was saying. His relief knew no bounds when he saw the light of understanding return to her eyes. Moving as slowly as possible, ready to stop if she made even the slightest gesture to stop him, Alec shifted Ben and laid him out on the floor, crossing his arms over his chest and pressing closed his eyes. At one time he would have freaked out completely at seeing his own dead eyes staring up at him, but Ben was finally at one removed from him. They were not the same person, thanks largely to the woman sitting in front of him.

Max's hands, bereft of their burden, had dropped into her lap, plucking at a loose thread. Distracted as she was, Alec took a moment to evaluate her injuries. There was an ugly scratch along her neck, along with what were undoubtedly choke marks. Her shirt was ripped in a couple of places and he could see by the way she was favouring one side that the ribs on that side were damaged. Her right knee was swelling as he watched, indicating a sprain at best. But most heartbreaking of all was the defeated look in her eyes. Gently he sat down next to her and placed an arm around her shoulders. He was only slightly surprised when Max crawled into his lap, burying her face in the crook of his neck, arms closing around him like bands of iron as silent sobs finally, finally forced their way from her lips and shook her small frame.

A long time later, after the medic had been and gone, ascertaining that Max seemed to be more or less okay, bar the shock, Biggs quietly joined them to report that all resistance was broken. His eyes hardened as he caught sight Ben and glinted with satisfaction at the sight of White's body.

Alec looked up from his position on the floor and silently asked Biggs to deal with the bodies. He didn't need to see his friend's nod to know that his order would be fulfilled. Arranging Max more comfortably in his arms, Alec effortlessly stood up and carried her out of the warehouse and to the van Dix had sent over. The entire time Max didn't speak a word, then so quietly Alec almost missed it, she whispered: "I knew you would come."

"Maxie, it's okay. Who else would you call?" The attempt to be even the slightest bit flippant failed completely.

Leaning back in his arms, Max stared at his face for so long, Alec started to feel uncomfortable.

"No-one."

"Come again."

"There is no-one I would have phoned except for you." Closing her eyes, Max let her head fall back to its place on Alec's shoulder.

"Huh."


	6. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. I own nothing but what's in my head. And about 2000 books.

A/N: Well, here it is. The last chapter. Did kinda turn out different than I thought. More violence for one, Ben popped up and left again. Weird. Just once I would like a story to stay on the road I mapped out, even if I do lose the plan. Have I mentioned that I like half-open endings. Potential is a great thing, although having said that I have a teensy idea for a one-shot sequel. Darn. Will post it as a post epilogue epilogue.

Dedicated to candyabble, who wrote the most reviews - thank you - and made me cry with her last one - in a good way. Hope you like the end.

_Epilogue_

The rain was a slight drizzle at this point in time. Over night a thunderstorm had raged across the city, torrents of rain hitting the buildings and sluicing down the walls, washing away the detritus of the long weeks before, leaving the city clean and cool. Towards the morning the storm had faded away, and now the clouds were breaking up allowing the first rays of weak sunlight to filter through the clean air.

Only the quick actions of some of the transgenics had stopped the rain from ruining everything.

Max was glad for it as she sat in her window seat, staring out with nary a blink from her veiled eyes. No thoughts were apparent for the discerning watcher. Still as a statue, she might as well have been one for the emotion she showed.

The image of Ben still haunted her. When she had been in that park it had been almost fun to battle the Familiars. She should have known straight away that it was a trap, White never sent less than eight Familiars when he once again tried to kidnap her. The dance had been swift and brutal. Just because she didn't use a gun didn't mean that she couldn't do some serious damage. The Familiars weren't even holding their own, another sign that things were not quite as they seemed. It had been amusing, until that voice broke through her concentration. It didn't even surprise her that she knew immediately who it was. She could never mix Alec up with anyone else, had come to know him too well in the time since springing him from Manticore. Which only left an impossible answer. As if choreographed the Familiars had parted so she could see who stood behind them. Ben, alive and with a ruthless sense of purpose exuding from his body, making perfectly clear that this time round she was his quarry, the person he had come to get and take with him. The fight had sagged out of her, she deserved this, having sent him to the nothingness. The following few hours were a blur, as she was roughly bundled up, shoved in a van and driven around town for a while, before ending up in that warehouse.

She had come to lying on the ground, with Ames White standing over her and taunting her. If she closed her eyes she could still hear his words as if he stood right next to her.

"Hello, 452. Like my present for you? Took me ever so much effort to get it for you. You wouldn't believe the time it took, not to mention the money." He kicked her in the ribs. "But then again nothing is too good for my little enemy of choice." Lifting one finger, he ordered Ben over to join them.

It made Max's heart ache to see the void on her brother's face. This was the soldier, devoid of any and all emotion, intent on only one purpose, to eliminate the target. Moving slowly, she pulled herself up against the crate behind her, realising once again her purpose. Ignoring White, she addressed Ben.

"Ben, you don't have to do this. It's me, Max."

Ames White had laughed so hard he cried. "That's the funniest thing I've heard all week. There's nothing you can do 452 that will stop 493. He is here with only the one order. To kill you." Looking between the siblings, he left with a final parting shot. "I'll just leave you to it then, shall I. Family reunions can be so messy. Fen'ostol."

As if that last word had been an order, Ben dropped into battle stance. A single tear hanging to her lashes Max followed suit. The battle was horrendous, worse than the forest so many months before. Throughout, Max pleaded with Ben to listen to her, didn't he recognise her, he was her brother. Not a single word managed to scratch the surface of the perfect soldier. Only Max's will and the feeling that she could not die with so much left undone and unsaid let her prevail in the end. The finale was an eerie repetition of their last battle. Max ended up with Ben immobilised against her chest, on her knees in the centre of the warehouse. Staring down into his hazel eyes, that had once shown so much emotion but were now blank with hate, Max steeled herself and keeping eye contact this time broke his neck once again. At the last possible moment, when it was too late to stop the movement, Max thought she detected a flash of the old Ben buried deep within the depths of his eyes.

She should have been surprised when the phone dropped from her pocket, but nothing could get past the shock coursing through her system, leaving room for only one thought. Alec. Alec would fix this. Alec would find her.

And he had. Caught her when she was falling, saved her from herself, let her grieve, had the right words at the right time, helped her organise the funeral. Nobody was going to get their grubby paws on Ben this time round. It was his idea to make a great funeral pyre in the centre of TC. White's body was placed below Bens, as Dix had found old legends in which heroes were burnt with the bodies of their enemies, that these may serve them for all eternity. It seemed fitting. All the transgenics turned out to watch, as Alec carried the white clad Ben and laid him out on top of the great wood pile.

The transgenics came to watch, in part to see the man who had meant so much to their leaders and in part to finally see their enemy burn. It was Max who held the flame to the base of the pyre. And in the end only her and Alec watched it burn down to the cinders. It had been Alec who held her as she cried, helped her back to her room and stayed with her until she felt well enough to resume her duties.

Well, their duties. Max had finally realised that she did not need to do everything alone. It was okay to share.

"You ready?"

The voice from the door shook her from her reverie. Turning slightly she looked at the person standing in the door. Alec was leaning comfortably against the jam, a slight smile playing his lips. An oh so familiar glint was in his eyes. The black suit looked truly fantastic on him, defining the form and giving an elegant edge to the power inherent in every line of his body.

A brilliant smile came to Max's face, filling her eyes with light, transforming her from very beautiful to stunning.

"Of course. Just lost in memories."

"Good ones?"

A wistful smile swept her face and past tragedies played in her eyes.

"We'll make good ones."

Alec smiled at her, the smile he reserved only for her and sauntered over to her. Bowing ever so slightly, he held out a hand to help her to her feet. Gracefully, Max placed her white gloved hand in his and stood up slowly, careful not to snag her full skirts anywhere.

She shivered when Alec traced a single finger along her bare shoulder and twirled one of the little curls framing her face, leaning into the familiar feeling.

"You look ravishing."

A light blush stained her cheeks and her gaze fell away from his. Then swung back with an impudent glint when Alec chuckled.

Turning them both, he tucked her hand into his elbow.

"Shall we?"

"We shall. It's time."

Their flat was left empty, but not desolate, awaiting the time when they would return with laughter and maybe one day a new family.


	7. New Beginnings

Disclaimer: Not mine. Nuff said.

A/N: One-shot sequel of sorts to Help Me! Just because I can and I wanted to write something fluffy.

_New Beginnings_

Slowly, ever so slowly the door creaked open, whoever was behind obviously trying not to disturb the occupants of the room. Finally it was wide enough to let a head topped by chocolate coloured curls pop in. A big grin graced Cindy's face as she looked at her best friend in the whole world.

"Can I come in?"

Max looked up from her place by the window, careful not to disturb the person in her lap.

"Course you can. Mi casa e su casa and all that. Just, you have to be very quiet."

"Giving you trouble again?"

"Only a little. Ben kept me up all night. Just wouldn't sleep."

"So, where is he now?" Cindy asked, cautiously moving closer, taking stock once again of the changes Max had wrought on her apartment. Gone were the once bare grey boards making up the floor. They had been polished up and painted a warm brown tone. New furniture littered the main room, among them the loveseat by the window Max was occupying and the couch Cindy was just manoeuvring around.

"He's with me." A quiet voice said, causing Cindy to jump a mile. The scream lodged in her throat decided to come out as an "Awww, how cute!" instead.

There on the couch lay Alec wearing only a pair of combat trousers, feet resting at one end, ankles casually crossed, head resting on the other, eyes half closed with fatigue. And on his chest, sucking his thumb as if he were the most innocent baby in the whole world, slept his son, Ben. One of Alec's hands rested casually on Ben's diaper-clad bottom, the other behind his head.

"He's so cute. Like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth." Cindy was entranced by her little godson. So small, yet the world turned around him.

"Looks can be deceiving, I can tell you." Alec groused, although there was no real sting in his words.

"This little tyke refused to sleep all night, but now when sane people are awake, he decides it's nap time." Slanting a glance over at Max, he added: "Definitely gets that from you."

Max only chuckled and looked down at her lap. "Well in that case, Rachel is all you. Look at her, playing with the remote for the TV, flirting with anything that will stay still long enough." Again there was a distinct lack of heat, only affection.

"Till I met you, anyway."

Max smiled at him. "Yup. Till you met me."

Cindy only smiled, glad to see her boo so settled and happy. After a couple more minutes admiring the kids, she quietly took her leave.

Gently cradling Rachel against her breast, Max stood up and made her way over to her husband, who simply lifted up his upper body and scootched down a little, making room for her beside him. Once she was settled, he let his head drop back and into her lap. Max smiled at the sight. Gently she traced her son's hand, then locked her gaze with Alec's linking their fingers.

"Happy?" Alec knew the answer, but liked hearing it nonetheless.

"Of course I'm happy. I have everything I ever wanted." She smiled down at the two precious bundles, cradled in their arms. "I have a family, two beautiful children and a husband who worships the ground I walk on."

Alec smirked up at her. "I could do a lot more worshipping, if these rugrats decided to sleep a night through."

"Alec! I'm shocked. Not in front of the kids."

A deep laugh rumbled from his throat, echoed by Max's higher giggle a moment later. As Max and Alec stared down at the most precious people in their lives, silence fell once more on their flat.


End file.
